Although we take care in brushing and flossing our own teeth several times a day, caring for our dog's teeth is often overlooked as an almost impossible task. An estimated 80% of dogs have gun disease or some other preventable dental problem by the time they reach 5 years of age.

Tartar build up causes bad breath, but also allows bacteria to become trapped at the edges of gums where organisms release toxins that injure gums and oral tissue. What happens is as the bacteria moves deeper into the gums, teeth are loosened. Even more scarier is the invading toxins can enter the blood stream and could infect lungs, liver, kidneys and even the heart! And, if that isn't bad enough, left untreated can cause stress on the immune system. All this because you didn't take time to care for your dog's teeth!!!!

By practicing some basic home dental care. you can decrease the need for professional dental care and/or teeth extractions.

I am sure you have heard feeding dry kibble to your dog will prevent too and gum disease. Unfortunately, there is no evidence this is true. There are newer foods on the shelves that are specially formulated as "dental diets."  They may work for some, but it more likely home prepared foods will be better for your dog than commercial food offering dental cleaning. Another positive for home prepared diets, according to holistic veterinarians,  dogs on home prepared diets don't seem to have a significant amount of tartar accumulation or gum disease.

Even if tartar is already building up on your dog's teeth, brushing them for just 20 to 30 seconds a few times a  week, or daily can be beneficial. Use a soft toothbrush, or for larger dogs, a finger toothbrush and follow these simple steps:

* Dip the toothbrush in chicken or beef broth, allowing the dog to lick the brush sevreal times a day until he becomes comfortable with the association of toothbrush and a treat.
* Now that he has become comfortable with the toothbrush, sue circular motions stroking away from the gum line, moving along the outer surfaces of the teeth.
Because tartar usually does not form on the inside of the tooth (the side along the tongue), you can brush your dog's teeth with his mouth closed.

Once you have established a routine, add a tooth cleaner to the brush. Enzyme toothpaste for dogs contains lactoperoxidase that combines with natural occurring ions in the saliva to produce an antibacterial effect. Look for products that contain walnut shells for abrasive action, zinc, and vitamin C for gums or acetic acid  which binds minerals that lead to plaque formation.

 People who feed the raw food diet often find very little need to brush their dog's teeth.
Chewing on bones can fracture the dog's teeth.
Rawhide chews have shown to reduce tartar. However, some of these products are produced outside the USA, and are contaminated with bacteria that can cause diarrhea and illness.
Dried cow hooves and other hard pressed rawhide can occasionally break teeth or become lodged in the intestinal tract.
Safer and healthier alternatives are carrots and other vegetables. Or, you can offer the nylon or other synthetic chew toys that are manufactured for the purpose of being gnawed on rather than ingested.